> at 5:40 PM, John Levine <johnl@iecc.com> wrote:
>
>> In article <Pine.LNX.4.64.1812111157380.6800@whammy.cluebyfour.org> you
>> write:
>>> Agreed, and I do get unsolicited Linkedin requests quite often.
>>> Sometimes, this is clearly the result of someone scraping a list like
>>> NANOG in an effort to drum up new business/contacts.  Those end up in
>>> the
>>> bitbucket.
>>
>> When you turn down a connection there should be "I don't know this
>> person" which demotes them somehow.  I gather that with enough of
>> those, you can't do invites any more.
>
> This was the case back when LinkedIn were actively enforcing their TOS.
> LinkedIn was largely started as and designed to be a referral service.
> As
> far as I can tell though, they’ve been letting strangers freely connect
> with one another for years now.
>

I've seen success with the 'I don't know this person' feedback system as
well, and encourage it's use.

Unfortunately for LinkedIn there's a whole breed of L.I.O.N. (LinkedIn
Open Networker) folks who believe in extending their social circle first
and breeding connections from there.

Somewhat akin to Twitter users who blindly follow everyone they come
across, mainly in the hope of a reciprocal follow and not because they
have any intent to interact with the person they're following, or even
ever read their timeline. It's exposure, exposure, exposure.

Mark.